Electronic transaction processing server with automated transaction evaluation

Abstract

An electronic transaction processing server receives and evaluates invoice transaction files. The server comprises a network circuit for communicating over a frame switched network with each of a plurality of participating systems. The participating systems comprising at least one customer workstation and at least one vendor workstation. A session management engine establishes a first secure session with a customer workstation and provides, to the customer workstation, a configuration document. The configuration document enables customer selection of evaluation parameters. The session management engine receives a post of the selected evaluation parameters and writes an indication of the selected evaluation parameters to a rules definition table. The session management engine further establishing a second secure session with a vendor workstation, receives an invoice file from the vendor workstation, and loads invoice line item values from the invoice file to records in a database. An evaluation engine applies the evaluation parameters from the rules definition table by: a) identifying a selected line item, the selected line item being a line item of the invoice to which the evaluation parameters are applicable; and b) performing one of: i) the true action if comparing the evaluation value to the value of the selected line item using the mathematical operand generates a true result; and ii) the false action if comparing the evaluation value to the value of the selected line item using the mathematical operand generates a false result. The session management engine further provides an extracted invoice file to the customer workstation. The extracted invoice file includes, for at least the selected line item, both: a) the value of the selected line item as provided in the invoice file uploaded by the vendor workstation; and b) one of i) an auto analysis comment written to an auto analysis field of a record associated with the invoice line item; and ii) an auto analysis resulting value written to an auto analysis resulting value field of a record associated with the invoice line item.

1 . An electronic transaction processing server for receiving and evaluating invoice transaction files, the server comprising: 
 a network circuit for communicating over a frame switched network with each of a plurality of participating systems, the participating systems comprising at least one customer workstation and at least one vendor workstation;    a session management engine for: 
 establishing a first secure session with a customer workstation;  
 providing, to the customer workstation through the first secure session, a configuration document, the configuration document enabling customer selection of evaluation parameters, the evaluation parameters comprising: 
 identification of a vendor client to which the evaluation parameters are applicable;  
 identification of an invoice line item to which the evaluation parameters are applicable;  
 identification of an evaluation value;  
 identification a mathematical operand; and  
 an indication of at least one of: i) a true action, the true action including writing a first auto analysis comment to an auto analysis field of a record associated with the invoice line item; and ii) a false action, the false action including writing a second auto analysis comment to an auto analysis field of a record associated with the invoice line item; and  
 
 receiving a post of the selected evaluation parameters and writing an indication of the selected evaluation parameters to a rules definition table;  
   the session management engine further executing work flow scripts for:    establishing a second secure session with a vendor workstation;    receiving, through the second secure session with the vendor workstation, an invoice file;    loading invoice line items from the invoice file to records in a database;    an evaluation engine applying the evaluation parameters from the rules definition table by: 
 identifying a selected line item, the selected line item being a line item of the invoice to which the evaluation parameters are applicable; and  
 performing one of: i) the true action if comparing the evaluation value to the value of the selected line item using the mathematical operand generates a true result; and ii) the false action if comparing the evaluation value to the value of the selected line item using the mathematical operand generates a false result; and  
   the session management engine further: 
 establishing a second secure session with a customer workstation; and  
 providing, to the customer workstation through the second secure session, an extracted invoice file, the extracted invoice file including, for at least the selected line item, both: i) the value of the selected line item as provided in the invoice file uploaded by the vendor workstation; and ii) the auto analysis comment written to the auto analysis field of a record associated with the invoice line item.  
   
     
     
         2 . The electronic transaction processing server of  claim 1 , wherein 
 the evaluation value is a predetermined price; and    at least one of the true action and the false action comprises writing an indication that that the value of the line item is in excess of the predetermined price.    
     
     
         3 . The electronic transaction processing server of  claim 2 , wherein receiving, through the second secure session with the vendor workstation, an invoice file, comprises the session management engine: 
 providing, to the vendor workstation through the second secure session, a file selection document, the file selection document enabling vendor selection of a directory location and a file name of an invoice file to upload to the electronic transaction processing server;    receiving a post of the directory location and the file name; and    providing, to the vendor workstation, script to drive the vendor workstation to upload the file to the electronic transaction processing server through the second secure session.    
     
     
         4 . The electronic transaction processing server of  claim 1 , wherein 
 The evaluation value is a predetermined quantity; and    at least one of the true action and the false action comprises writing an indication that that the value of the line item is in excess of the predetermined quantity.    
     
     
         5 . The electronic transaction processing server of  claim 4 , wherein receiving, through the second secure session with the vendor workstation, an invoice file, comprises the session management engine: 
 providing, to the vendor workstation through the second secure session, a file selection document, the file selection document enabling vendor selection of a directory location and a file name of an invoice file to upload to the electronic transaction processing server;    receiving a post of the directory location and the file name; and    providing, to the vendor workstation, script to drive the vendor workstation to upload the file to the electronic transaction processing server through the second secure session.    
     
     
         6 . An electronic transaction processing server for receiving and evaluating invoice transaction files, the server comprising: 
 a network circuit for communicating over a frame switched network with each of a plurality of participating systems, the participating systems comprising at least one customer workstation and at least one vendor workstation;    a session management engine for: 
 establishing a first secure session with a customer workstation;  
 providing, to the customer workstation through the first secure session, a configuration document, the configuration document enabling customer selection of evaluation parameters, the evaluation parameters comprising: 
 identification of a vendor client to which the evaluation parameters are applicable;  
 identification of an invoice line item to which the evaluation parameters are applicable;  
 identification of an evaluation value;  
 identification a mathematical operand; and  
 an indication of at least one of: i) a true action, the true action including writing an auto analysis resulting value to a resulting value field in a record associated with the invoice line item; and ii) a false action, the false action including writing an auto analysis resulting value to a resulting value field in a record associated with the invoice line item; and  
 
 receiving a post of the selected evaluation parameters and writing an indication of the selected evaluation parameters to a rules definition table;  
   the session management engine further: 
 establishing a second secure session with a vendor workstation;  
 receiving, through the second secure session with the vendor workstation, an invoice file;  
 loading invoice line items from the invoice file to records in a database;  
   an evaluation engine applying the evaluation parameters from the rules definition table by: 
 identifying a selected line item, the selected line item being a line item of the invoice to which the evaluation parameters are applicable;  
 performing one of: i) the true action if comparing the evaluation value to the value of the selected line item using the mathematical operand generates a true result; and ii) the false action if a false result of comparing the evaluation value to the value of the selected line item using the mathematical operand generates a false result; and  
   the session management engine further: 
 establishing a third secure session with a customer workstation; and  
 providing, to the customer workstation through the third secure session, an extracted invoice file, the extracted invoice file including, for at least the selected line item, both: i) the value of the line item as provided in the invoice file uploaded by the vendor workstation; and ii) the auto analysis resulting value written to the resulting value field in a record associated with the invoice line item.  
   
     
     
         7 . The electronic transaction processing server of  claim 6 , wherein: 
 the evaluation value is a predetermined price; and    the resulting value is a variance between the value of the line item and the predetermined price.    
     
     
         8 . The electronic transaction processing server of  claim 7 , wherein receiving, through the second secure session with the vendor workstation, an invoice file, comprises the session management engine: 
 providing, to the vendor workstation through the second secure session, a file selection document, the file selection document enabling vendor selection of a directory location and a file name of an invoice file to upload to the electronic transaction processing server;    receiving a post of the directory location and the file name; and    providing, to the vendor workstation, script to drive the vendor workstation to upload the file to the electronic transaction processing server through the second secure session.    
     
     
         9 . The electronic transaction processing server of  claim 6 , wherein: 
 the evaluation value is a predetermined quantity; and    the resulting value is a variance between the value of the line item and the predetermined quantity.    
     
     
         10 . The electronic transaction processing server of  claim 9 , wherein receiving, through the second secure session with the vendor workstation, an invoice file, comprises the session management engine: 
 providing, to the vendor workstation through the second secure session, a file selection document, the file selection document enabling vendor selection of a directory location and a file name of an invoice file to upload to the electronic transaction processing server;    receiving a post of the directory location and the file name; and    providing, to the vendor workstation, script to drive the vendor workstation to upload the file to the electronic transaction processing server through the second secure session.    
     
     
         11 . A method of operating an electronic transaction processing server for receiving and evaluating invoice transaction files, the method comprising: 
 establishing a first secure session over a frame switched network with a customer workstation;    providing, to the customer workstation through the first secure session, a configuration document, the configuration document enabling customer selection of evaluation parameters, the evaluation parameters comprising: 
 identification of a vendor client to which the evaluation parameters are applicable;  
 identification of an invoice line item to which the evaluation parameters are applicable;  
 identification of an evaluation value;  
 identification a mathematical operand; and  
 an indication of at least one of: i) a true action, the true action including writing a first auto analysis comment to an auto analysis field of a record associated with the invoice line item; and ii) a false action, the false action including writing a second auto analysis comment to an auto analysis field of a record associated with the invoice line item; and  
   receiving a post of the selected evaluation parameters and writing an indication of the selected evaluation parameters to a rules definition table;    establishing a second secure session over the frame switched network with a vendor workstation;    receiving, through the second secure session with the vendor workstation, an invoice file;    loading invoice line items from the invoice file to records in a database;    applying the evaluation parameters from the rules definition table by: 
 identifying a selected line item, the selected line item being a line item of the invoice to which the evaluation parameters are applicable; and  
 performing one of: i) the true action if comparing the evaluation value to the value of the selected line item using the mathematical operand generates a true result; and ii) the false action if comparing the evaluation value to the value of the selected line item using the mathematical operand generates a false result;  
   establishing a third second secure session over the frame switched network with a customer workstation; and    providing, to the customer workstation through the third secure session, an extracted invoice file, the extracted invoice file including, for at least the selected line item, both: i) the value of the line item as provided in the invoice file uploaded by the vendor workstation; and ii) the auto analysis comment written to the auto analysis field of a record associated with the invoice line item.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein 
 the evaluation value is a predetermined price; and    at least one of the true action and the false action comprises writing an indication that that the value of the line item is in excess of the predetermined price.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein receiving, through the second secure session with the vendor workstation, an invoice file, comprises: 
 providing, to the vendor workstation through the second secure session, a file selection document, the file selection document enabling vendor selection of a directory location and a file name of an invoice file to upload to the electronic transaction processing server;    receiving a post of the directory location and the file name; and    providing, to the vendor workstation, script to drive the vendor workstation to upload the file to the electronic transaction processing server through the second secure session.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein 
 The evaluation value is a predetermined quantity; and    at least one of the true action and the false action comprises writing an indication that that the value of the line item is in excess of the predetermined quantity.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein receiving, through the second secure session with the vendor workstation, an invoice file, comprises: 
 providing, to the vendor workstation through the second secure session, a file selection document, the file selection document enabling vendor selection of a directory location and a file name of an invoice file to upload to the electronic transaction processing server;    receiving a post of the directory location and the file name; and    providing, to the vendor workstation, script to drive the vendor workstation to upload the file to the electronic transaction processing server through the second secure session.    
     
     
         16 . A method of operating an electronic transaction processing server for receiving and evaluating invoice transaction files, the method comprising: 
 establishing a first secure session over a frame switched network with a customer workstation;    providing, to the customer workstation through the secure session, a configuration document, the configuration document enabling customer selection of evaluation parameters, the evaluation parameters comprising: 
 identification of a vendor client to which the evaluation parameters are applicable;  
 identification of an invoice line item to which the evaluation parameters are applicable;  
 identification of an evaluation value;  
 identification a mathematical operand; and  
 an indication of at least one of: i) a true action, the true action being writing an auto analysis resulting value to a resulting value field in a record associated with the invoice line item; and ii) a false action, the false action being writing an auto analysis resulting value to a resulting value field in a record associated with the invoice line item; and  
   receiving a post of the selected evaluation parameters and writing an indication of the selected evaluation parameters to a rules definition table;    establishing a second secure session over the frame switched network with a vendor workstation;    receiving, through the second secure session with the vendor workstation, an invoice file;    loading invoice line items from the invoice file to records in a database;    applying the evaluation parameters from the rules definition table by: 
 identifying a selected line item, the selected line item being a line item of the invoice to which the evaluation parameters are applicable;  
 performing one of: i) the true action if comparing the evaluation value to the value of the selected line item using the mathematical operand generates a true result; and ii) the false action if comparing the evaluation value to the value of the selected line item using the mathematical operand generates a false result;  
   establishing a third secure session over the frame switched network with a customer workstation; and    providing, to the customer workstation through the second secure session, an extracted invoice file, the extracted invoice file including, for at least the selected line item, both: i) the value of the line item as provided in the invoice file uploaded by the vendor workstation; and ii) the auto analysis resulting value written to the resulting value field in a record associated with the invoice line item.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein: 
 the evaluation value is a predetermined price; and    the resulting value is a variance between the value of the line item and the predetermined price.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein receiving, through the second secure session with the vendor workstation, an invoice file, comprises: 
 providing, to the vendor workstation through the second secure session, a file selection document, the file selection document enabling vendor selection of a directory location and a file name of an invoice file to upload to the electronic transaction processing server;    receiving a post of the directory location and the file name; and    providing, to the vendor workstation, script to drive the vendor workstation to upload the file to the electronic transaction processing server through the second secure session.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein: 
 the evaluation value is a predetermined quantity; and    the resulting value is a variance between the value of the line item and the predetermined quantity.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein receiving, through the second secure session with the vendor workstation, an invoice file, comprises: 
 providing, to the vendor workstation through the second secure session, a file selection document, the file selection document enabling vendor selection of a directory location and a file name of an invoice file to upload to the electronic transaction processing server;    receiving a post of the directory location and the file name; and    providing, to the vendor workstation, script to drive the vendor workstation to upload the file to the electronic transaction processing server through the second secure session.